Automatic electric switch.



No. 792,734. I PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905.

v H. A. SCHULTZ.

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 3. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905.

H. A. SCHULTZ.

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 3. 1905.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

STREET Ml? INS did. J.

UNITED STATES Patented June 20, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,734, dated June 20,1905.

Application filed January 3, 1905. Serial No. 239,333.

To w/tom it may 0011// 1.-

Be it known that I, HERMAN A. SCHULTZ, a citizen of the United States,residing at Berkeley, in the county of Alameda and State of California,have invented new and useful Im provements in Automatic ElectricSwitches, of which the following is a specification.

y invention relates to an apparatus by which pumps and other machinerymay be automatically set in motion or their operation discontinuedthrough the medium of an electric current.

My invention consists in a combination of parts and mechanism and indetails of con- I 5 struction, which will be more fully explained byreference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a viewshowing the float depressed and the switch open. Fig. 2 shows the floatraised and the switch closed. Fig. 3 is a general view showing amotor-pump and electric and hydraulic connections which may be used inconnection with my invention.

It is the object of my invention to provide a simple practical form ofelectrical circuitclosing mechanism Which is applicable for useparticularly in the pumping of Water, such as in cellars, basements,mines, and other places where flooding or overflow is liable to occur 3and where the rise and fall of the water will start or stop a suitablepump or equivalent apparatus for reducing the amount.

It will be manifest that various forms of meehanisn'i may be used toproduce the re- 3 5 quired result. In the present case 1 have shown aframe A, having vertical guides, as at 2, and upon these guides a frame3 is adapted to slide. This frame carries a float 4 of any suitableshape or size, and this float is 4- slidable with the frame 3 betweenthe guides 2 and has also a limited movement within the frame 3, whichis independent of the movement of said frame. Under ordinary conditionsthe frame of the float will rest at the bottom of the guides contiguousto the floor or the depression or sump in which the water may collectand from which it is to be pumped. In case of an increasein the waterthe float will gradually rise until it contacts with a suitable 5 stopor cross-bar upon the upper part of the frame 3. This frame will then belifted by the float and thereaftermove in unison therewith if the watercontinues to increase. The movement of the float and frame are contrivedby suitable connections to operate a switch by which an electricalcircuit may be closed or opened. This switch mechanism is formed asfollows: Extending upward from the frame 3 is a rod 5. This rod connectswith a lever 6, fulcrumed to a suitable support, as at 7. One end ofthis lever carries a roller 8,which is adapted to ride over theconverging inclined sides of a block 9, having a guided slidable shank,as at 9, and normally pressed forward into contact with the roller by aspring, as at 20. The other end of the lever 6 is connected, by means ofa link 10, with a carriage 11, slidable upon suitable guides, as at 12.The carriage supports one member 13 of a knife or equivalent switch,which maybe moved into or out of contact with the other member 14 ofsaid switch. The upper end of the rod 5, where it connects with thelever 6, is slotted, as shown at 15, and the upper end of the link 10 issimilarly slotted, as at 16, both of these slotted ends being slidableover pins which connect them, respectively, with the lever 6 and withthe slidable frame 11. The object of these slots is to provide for asuitable amount of movement of the float before the switch is closedduring the rising of the float and, similarly, a considerable movementdownward of the float without separating the switch members and cuttingoff the electrical current.

The operation of the apparatus will then be as follows: The float 4 andframe 3 being at the lowest point, resting substantially at the bottom,the lever 6 will be drawn downward, and the roller 8 will press againstthe upper incline of the wedge-shaped block 9. The tension of the spring20 will cause this inclined surface to press against the roller, so asto pull the rod 10 downward, so that the pin connecting it with thecarriage 11 will be at the upper end of the slot 16. The float and frame3 being also at their lowest point, the slot 15 will also be in suchposition that the pin connecting it with the lever 6 passes through theupper part of the slot. Any rise in the water will commence to lift thefloat, which conl parts or disengaging the switch, so that the tinues torise until it contacts with the stops on the frame 3, when this framewill also rise. As soon as the bottom of the slot 15 comes in contactwith the pin connecting it with the lever 6 this lever will also beginto move and will simultaneously move the rod 10, which by reason of itsslotted upper end will slide upon the pin connecting it with thecarriage 11. As soon as the movement of the parts has reached a pointwhere the roller 8 passes over the apex of the wedge-shaped block 9 theaction of the spring will suddenly move the lever through the remainderof its travel and independent of the further movement of the float, andthus the switch will be rapidly closed and the circuit completed. Theslots 15 and 16 allow of this sudden independent movement. As soon asthe circuit is closed an electrical current will pass through from anysuitable source of electrical energy and may be made to operate a motorM, as shown in Fig. 3, which through a drive-belt or other means willoperate a pump P, with an inletpipe P reaching into the pump and anoutletpipe P carrying the discharge aboveground, as shown in Fig. 8.This is only one of many constructions which may be used in connectionwith my invention. In case of the pump it will operate to decrease thebody of water, and the float will gradually lower until first the top ofthe slot 15 comes in contact with the pin connecting it with the lever6, and this movement will gradually turn the lever about itsfulcrum-point until the roller 8 has again passed the apex of thewedge-shaped block. The rod 10 will also have been drawn down until theupper end of the slot 16 is approximately in contact with the pin whichconnects it with the carriage 11. At this instant, the roller 8 havingpassed the apex of the block 9, the tension of the spring 20 will act toforce the block out, and the incline traveling beneath the roller. 8moves the lever suddenly to the full extent of its throw in thedirection in which it is started, thus suddenly disconnecting the switchmembers 13 and 14 and cutting off the electrical current.

Various adjustments of the parts may be made. The connection between theframe 3 and the lever 6 may be made by means of a two-part rod 5 and 5,one part having a guide within which the other part is movable, and bymeans of a set-screw or other equivalent lock, as at 21, these two partsmay be firmly united and any lengthening or shortening made to adjustthe movements of the float and its frame to those of the lever, switch,and connecting parts. The tension of the spring 20 may also be regulatedby means of a nut, as at 23, moving upon a screw-threaded spindle and aplate bearing against the spring.

The length of the slots 15 and 16 issuflicient to permit the float tosink to a considerable distance without moving the connecting level ofthe water will be lowered to any desired extent before the pump-actuating power is thrown out of action.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with an electric switch, of a float, a fulcrumedlever, connections between the float and the lever, connections betweenthe lever and a movable member of the switch, and a wedge-shapedyieldable member against which one end of the lever is traversable.

2. An electrical switch comprising a fixed and a movable member, acarriage to which the movable member is attached, a fulcrumed lever, aconnection between one end of said lever and the carriage, a floatadapted to rise and fall, connections between said float and the lever,said connections between the said lever and the carriage and the float,being slotted to allow an independent movement of the float in eitherdirection without moving the switch member, and aspring-pressed memberbearing against the leverand by which the movement of said lever isaccelerated.

3. An electrical switch comprising a fixed and a movable member, acarriage for the movable member, a fulcrumed lever, a slotted barconnected with one end of the lever and with the carriage of the movablemember, a float, a rod connecting the float with the lever, anantifrictional device carried by the end of the lever upon the oppositeside of its fulcrum, and a wedge-shaped spring-pressed block againstwhich said end of the lever is movable.

4. An electrical switch comprising a fixed and a movable member, afulcrumed member having one end loosely connected with the movablemember of the switch and with a rising and falling float, atransversely-slidable spring-pressed wedge-shaped block, anantifrictional device carried by the end of the lever adapted to contactwith said block whereby the movement of the lever is accelerated at theinstant when its end passes the apex of the block.

5. An electrical switch comprising a fixed and a movable member, afulcrumed lever, a float movable substantially in line with the movementof the switch member, a loose connection between the float and thelever, a second loose connection between the lever and the movableswitch member and an inclined or wedge-shaped block, a roller carried bythe end of the lever adapted to contact with the inclined faces of theblock, a spring acting to force the block against the lever and toaccelerate the movement of the lever and the closing or opening of theswitch when the roller has passed the apex of the wedge-block.

6. In an electrical-SWitch-actuating mechanism, a guided slidable float,a guided and slidable frame within which the float is inclependentlymovable, contacts by which the float acts to move the frame at certainpoints of its rise or fall, a fulcrumed lever, connections between thefloat-frame and one end of said lever, an electrical switch comprising afixed and a movable member, connections between the lever and themovable switch member and a spring-pressed wedge-shaped block actingagainst the opposite end of the lever to accelerate its motion and thatof the switch member when the lever end has passed the apex of theblock.

7. In an electrical-switch-actuating mechanism, a guided rising andfalling float, a similarly-guidcd yoke or frame within which the floathas a limited movement, a fulcrumed lever, a slotted-rod connectionbetween one end nesses.

HERMAN A. SCHULTZ. Vitnesses:

DORRIS A. VEs'roN, WALTER P. ooLsEY.

